“My husband hates marketing.  He (like thousands of other people, I suspect) thinks that it’s all hype and BS, cynically calculated to manipulate you into acting, vs. an honest communication of value.

I beg to differ – in part. Even though I think he’s probably accurate for big swaths of our commercial-riddled society (think Ginzu knives or Sham-wow), many of my clients are branding and marketing folks who are honestly trying to figure out how to let people know, in a compelling way, that they have something great to offer.

So let’s assume for the moment that you have something that’s important to you – an idea, or yourself – that you’re trying to market in a non-creepy way.  To start us off, here’s my favorite definition of  brand – I heard this years ago (I can’t remember where) and it’s become central to the way I think about the concept of branding:

       A brand is the promise of an experience.

Let me add a disclaimer here – I’m definitely not a branding expert, personal or otherwise. (There are lots of experts in this realm, by the way – one of my favorites is Dan Schwabel.  Check out his Personal Branding blog.) I’m just a very interested amateur.  And I’m in the process, with my business partner Jeff, of further clarifying our Proteus company brand, while at the same time trying to understand what I personally have to offer people – my ‘Erika Andersen‘ brand, if you will.  So I’m learning a lot: here’s some of what I’ve learned that I thought might be helpful to you:

1) Be Distinctive. In a great article about how to diagnose poor business results, Jay Goltz offers this advice: “Lots of companies still use this line: ‘We will exceed your expectations.’…It was a good line when someone first thought of it. Now, it is old….You need to exceed people’s expectations by coming up with your own line….It should say something about your company that means something to potential customers.” I agree.  Saying “I’m the best web designer in Michigan,” or “I design world-class web sites,” isn’t going to capture anyone’s attention.  What is it – specifically – that you are better at doing than anyone else? Maybe it’s “I design sites with simple, fast navigation, that are drop-dead easy for clients to manage themselves.”

2) Be aspirational but accurate.  This is where most marketing gets a bad name.  If your web sites don’t have simple, fast navigation, and aren’t easy to self-manage – don’t say that they are. It’s OK to promise what you are when you’re at your best….but then, be your best. People will cut you a little slack, but not much; if you say, for instance, that you’re uniquely good at managing complex projects to completion on time and on budget, and your projects are late and over-budget…it doesn’t matter how often or how well you say it. Our Proteus brand is leader readiness – we help leaders get ready and stay ready for their future. And we do that.  We hold ourselves accountable for doing it every day.

3) Focus on How as Well as What.  Any experience consists of both ‘what’: the specific events and results, and ‘how’: the feeling it gives you. When you think about your brand, an important part of the experience – often the most important part – is how you promise people will feel when they deal with you.  Some people call these ‘brand attributes’; what does the brand ‘feel’ like.  For instance, our Proteus brand attributes are ‘illuminating, strengthening, and trustworthy.’ When clients interact with us, we want them always to feel clearer and stronger than before, and deeply trusting of us and the relationship.  How do you want clients to feel in dealing with you?  Again – make sure this is aspirational and accurate: what does it feel like to interact with you when you’re at your best?”

Source: Forbes.com

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I hope you are starting to realize that you are communicating your brand every day, in every way. Just be you, fulfill what you promise and always give your best.

Want to learn about branding to grow your business?  Follow me on Twitter or find me on Facebook or at my online home: Ladies Who Brand

Did you know that many people who feel and act confident now, didn’t feel that way at first? Want to know their secret? Confident people aren’t in a battle with their feelings, so if you are trying to control your feelings, try allowing them to be there instead of controlling them. This will free your energy up to act, instead of fighting with yourself.

Confidence is generally described as a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective.  Self confidence is having confidence in oneself and is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits.

Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Since perception is reality, the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is that you’ll succeed.

“Never think that you’re not good enough yourself.  A man should never think that.  My belief is that in life people will take you at your own reckoning.” ~Isaac Asimov

Want to create more brand confidence?  Try these 3 steps:

1. Get out of your head and stop thinking all the time.

2. Create the story of how you want to show up in the world based on the following:

• What matters the most to you;
• The kind of life you want to lead;
• The kind of person you want to be, deep down, every day.  

3. Start being that person leading that life you want. 

Follow these 3 steps to create a solid guidance system to help you focus on what’s really important to help you decide when to take action; regardless of your fears, doubts or those little voices in your head.

By being and acting like this person you admire, you will gain confidence and start living an authentic life where you can own your brand and exude confidence {not to be confused with arrogance!}.  When what you say matches what you do, you will create unlimited brand confidence.

4 simple, yet powerful success tips:  

1. Enjoy what you’re doing.
2. Know your subject and really understand your subject.
3. Feel the fear, and do it anyway!
4. Never quit – just go after it and don’t stop. 

If you can acknowledge your fear and transform it into a fuel that can propel you into action to complete the task at hand, whether the outcome is good or bad, you will build your confidence.  

Remember, confidence, like branding, is a never ending journey, and if you don’t feel uncomfortable, you aren’t growing and becoming the best brand you can be.

Don’t fight the fear; feel the fear, take action and don’t worry — the confidence will come later!

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I hope you are starting to realize that you are communicating your brand every day, in every way. Just be you, fulfill what you promise and always give your best.

Want to learn about branding to grow your business?

Follow me on Twitter or find me on Facebook!

While in Chicago, I was enthralled with two sculptures because of the non-stop crowds that they drew.  It was fascinating to watch the variety of interactions and joyful responses from the crowds. Even though I had already seen one of these sculptures three times, my eyes were re-opened.  It inspired this blog in hopes that it will re-open your eyes by taking a 360 degree look at your brand, as well as observing the different ways people interact with your brand to make sure your brand experience is enthralling.

Since your brand is a work of art that is constantly evolving and being shaped by you, your words, your actions, and what your customers experience, sculptures are the perfect analogy!  Let’s start by looking at the definition of a sculpture to paint the picture:

Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood except when softer (“plastic”) materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals or when the term has been extended to works including sound, text and light.

Materials may be worked by removal such as carving; or they may be assembled such as by welding, hardened such as by firing, or molded or cast. Surface decoration such as paint may be applied.  Sculpture has been described as one of the plastic arts because it can involve the use of materials that can be moulded or modulated. Found objects may be presented as sculptures.

Sculpture is an important form of public art. A collection of sculpture in a garden setting may be referred to as a sculpture garden. {Source: on wikipedia.com}

Sculpture1: 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe

Created by artist Seward Johnson, and shows Monroe in the same stance as she appeared in “The Seven Year Itch.”

When I left Phoenix it was 48 degrees and hailing, while it was 83 degrees with no wind in Chicago…yes, kind of ironic.  This sculpture had a constant crowd including, but not limited to: locals, tourists, vandals, TV stations, etc.

Sculpture 2: 110 tons, 33’ high x 42’ wide x 66’ long Cloud Gate

Created by Anish Kapoor, and is one of the world’s largest outdoor installations made of highly polished stainless steel that reflects the activity and lights of Millennium Park and surrounding city.

Visitors are able to walk around and under Cloud Gate’s 12-foot (3.7 m) high arch. On the underside is the “omphalos” (Greek for “navel”), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor’s artistic themes, and is popular with tourists as a photo-taking opportunity for its unique reflective properties.

By the way, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, enthralled means:

Capture the fascinated attention of.  I invite you to ask some probing questions about your brand, observe what it looks like and feels like through the eyes of outsiders and hone in on your brand essence to discover how to make your brand enthralling today.